By JOSEPH JARAMILLO
Some of the earliest concentrate originated in the Middle East and Eastern Asia. The oldest method of creating concentrates simply involves rubbing cannabis flowers between hands, scraping and collecting trichomes and compressing them to form a moldable and dark amalgamation, known in Hindi as Charas, and commonly as Hashish. Hashish is the oldest form of concentrate known to man. Countries like Jamaica, India, Afghanistan and Lebanon still produce hash for export, often on the black market.
In the 12th Century, smoking hashish was highly popular in the Middle East. “Hash,” or “Hasis” in Arabic, is the product created when Cannabis flowers are ‘sieved’ through a screen, also known as ‘dry sifting,’ and processed with heat and pressure. Sieving is a process used to separate the resin glands, called trichomes, from other plant matter. The extracted trichomes, with a powdery appearance, are commonly known as ‘Kief.’ Most take the process a step further and add heat to the kief while compressing into blocks of hashish. Kief is consumed in a variety of forms, such as ‘bhang,’ a mixture of simple bud cannabis flower, sometime known as ganja,, and ‘Charas,’ a traditional form of hash made with resin from only the finest cannabis grown at high altitudes. This is the most highly revered form of traditional Indian cannabis, and is often said to be one of the best forms of hashish produced anywhere in the world. In India and around the world Charas, and cannabis in general, are associated with the God Shiva. Today it is used in the towns and villages of the Hindu Kush Mountains and used broadly by followers of Shiva in the region. In these areas, Charas is commonly smoked in a tobacco mixture rolled into a cigarette, but more traditionally from a chillum pipe, particularly by smokers searching for spiritual connection. Since hand-rolling Charas, extraction processes have come a long way. There are many ways to collect the resin glands from cannabis flowers, but arguably the most common method of trichome collection over the years is facilitated through the use of a three-chamber grinder. During the grinding process, trichomes are sieved through a mesh screen and broken off of the cannabis flower through a physical process known as agitation. Through developments in technology and the scientific discover of chemical methods, concentrate extraction has become a highly sophisticated and modernized practice. Most concentrates are named after their appearance. For example, the names ‘shatter, wax, and budder’ all refer to the consistency of the concentrate, each created through a unique method with real differences in melting point, appearance, and cost. While many concentrate products are similar in THC percentage, they all have different melting points, cannabinoid profiles and characters. Modern Methods Today, there are two main methods of creating cannabis concentrates, solvent-based extraction and non-solvent extraction. A solvent is just a liquid in which something is dissolved to form a solution. In extraction, a solvent is a liquid used to separate the psychoactive compound THC (as other cannabinoids and terpenes), from the cannabis flower. Dabbing is the most popular way to consume Cannabis concentrates ‘Dabbing’ simply refers to the vaporization and consumption of a Cannabis concentrate. On average, the concentrate a modern person might dab has between 60-80% THC; compared to smoking a 10-25% THC cannabis flower the concentrates are much more potent. For this reason, dabbing is more economical for most users, as far less product needs to be consumed to reach an optimal or desired effect. Dabs usually come on stronger and faster than smoking flower, and is not recommended for smokers experienced or who frequently smoke flower. While it is possible to use keif and other concentrates as a “bowl-topper” over flower, most consistencies other than bubble hash don’t vaporize effectively with this method. The most effective way to consume cannabis concentrates is dabbing with what is known as a ‘Dab Rig,’ or essentially water pipes made designed specifically to bring out the complete flavor profile and potency of the concentrate. This method is more complicated than smoking flower, needing a torch, a rig with a titanium or quartz nail are needed. Using a rig with a heated titanium or quartz nail instead of a open-flamed lighter is the most optimal and efficient way to vaporize and consume concentrates. The titanium or quartz nail is inserted in place of a traditional sliding bowl, and is heated by the torch. Optimal dabbing temperatures are regularly debated within the cannabis community, with “low-temp” dabs having taken the concentrate scene by storm in recent history for those seeking the purest of flavors. Terpenes Why all the work? For the taste, the quality, and specifically – for the Terpenes. Tarpenes are chemical compounds found in cannabis that produce the distinct flavors and smells of the flower. That means the tangy, citrus scent of Lemon Haze, or the sweet Bluedream, or the sour smell of Blue Cheese – each is created by different terpenes. In a more general sense, a terpene is any group of hydrocarbons found in the essential oils of a plant. In cannabis, terpenes are produced by secretory cells found within ‘glandular trichomes.’ Terpenes are produced similarly in fruits as well. For example, the same tangy, citrus terpene found in Lemon Haze, called limonene, can be found within the oil glands in the skin of Lemons. In recent years, strains have been grown intentionally to produce the highest THC levels possible. The combination of terpenes and THC impacts potential psychoactive and physiological affects, and many experienced cannabis patients claim they can determine “good bud” by relying on smell alone. Some of the most common terpenes include Limonene, Alpha-pinene, and Myrcene. Limonene, found in most citrus fruits, can promote weight loss and improve mood. Alpha-pinene is the terpene that gives pine trees their scent and has anti-inflammatory properties that are helpful for those with asthma. Myrcene smells musky with a hint of berry; it is great for pain-relief and has sedative properties as well. Trichomes Trichomes are the small hair-like structures found on cannabis flowers that contain terpenes. The word trichome comes from the Greek word meaning “hair.” There are three main types of trichomes: bulbous, capitate-sessile, and capitate-stalked. Right now we can think of them as small, medium and large respectively. Most bulbous trichomes are hard to see, even under magnification, and protrude similarly to goosebumps on skin. Capitate-sessile trichomes are much more numerous and have a rounded head. It’s often difficult to see Capitatesessile stems as they appear to lie flat against leaves. Capitate-stalked trichomes are the most abundant and are raised off the leaves with elongated stalks. Capitate-stalked trichomes usually contain the most cannabinoids due to their larger and clearly visible size.
In their unprocessed form, the stalk-like trichomes can be collected and are often referred to as kief. While kief is technically considered a concentrated form of THC, the final form of kief is comprised of many individual trichomes, meaning that it has not undergone an extraction process ‘amalgamating’ (mixing) it into a cohesive and unified final product. In order to process trichomes into a stable and concentrated product, a variety of processes can be used. Because of the high potency, purified concentrates allow medical patients to achieve faster relief than flower or even edibles. More efficient than flower, concentrates allow patients to remedy medical ailments efficiently with a quick, large dose of cannabinoids. Dabbing also allows cannabis patients to consume in a more discreet manner, as concentrate vapor does not stick on clothes or residually hang in the air like combusted cannabis flower might. There are two main methods of creating cannabis concentrates, the 1stbeing solvent-based extraction, and the 2nd non-solvent extraction. Solvent-based Extractions: In solvent-based extraction, chemical solvents such as butane, propane, carbon dioxide (CO2) and alcohol are used to separate resin glands containing the psychoactive compound THC from the cannabis flower. In non-solvent extractions, water, temperature and pressure are the predominant factors. The different extraction methods alter the chemical and biological makeup of the final product form in ways that are not forthright to the naked eye, which is why it is always important as a patient to understand the process behind the product. One thing is certain however, no matter which extraction method you choose, there are no shortages of effective, high-quality options to select from in either variety. Many patients believe solvent-based extractions to be ‘more potent,’ containing what is called the “full-spectrum” of cannabinoids and terpenes in the concentrate. Because the flower is not physically agitated (like bubble hash or rosin) and cannabinoids are pulled from the plant by passing solvent, the structure of the molecules are kept intact throughout the process. Plant matter is kept from being accidentally extracted and preserves terpenes remarkably well.
Solvent-based extractions do use chemical solvents to strip cannabis flowers of their highly potent resin glands. Because chemical solvents are often highly flammable, professional extractors use what are called “closed-loop” systems to ensure that there is no airborne chemical exposure during the process, therefore eliminating any risk for fire, over-pressurization or explosion. It is extremely dangerous and illegal to perform solvent-based extractions at home. Many of the dangers inherent in producing solvent-based extractions have been alleviated by lab certified extraction requirements on commercial products, though there is a risk of explosions if done improperly at home! After a solvent has passed through the flower and collected its cannabinoids, the resulting product is referred to as ‘Slurry.’ Slurry is the mixture of cannabinoids and unpurged solvent, and can look a variety of ways depending on the solvent used. Mainly, slurry looks like either a runny liquid form, or an airy loaf. Slurry contains high amounts of residual solvent and is not considered safe to consume. In order to turn slurry into a finished and compliant product, purging must be implemented. Purging is a broad term in the world of concentrates, as it can be achieved through evaporation, vacuuming or hand-whipping. Each method of purging has different variations and produces a different end product and consistency. While there are many different options for solvent purging, vacuuming is predominantly considered the most popular. When a solvent is purged by vacuum oven, it is being deliberately pulled from the slurry and the air within the vacuum, leaving behind a low parts per million (ppm) of residual solvent. Vacuum purging duration varies depending on many different factors and can last up to 72 hours in some instances. Butane hash oil (BHO)-is a solvent-based extraction that utilizes butane as a solvent. BHO offers a variety of end products with high potency including budder, shatter, wax and more. flower or trim is placed in a receptacle tube while butane is forced through, essentially stripping the plant matter of its cannabinoids. The material is contained while the gas is released, hence the term “blasting,” which is commonly used when referencing the process. Butane was one of the first solvents used in concentrate extraction and is the common culprit of open-blasting induced explosions. Because of its low burning point butane is extremely volatile, which is why it is unsafe to use outside of a closedloop system. Propane hash oil (PHO) -Similar to BHO, cannabis extractions using propane are called propane hash oil. Although this method usually demands higher pressure, it also requires a lower boiling point, which means better terpene preservation and faster/ more effective purging. PHO offers end products similar to BHO, such as wax, shatter, live resin and more, and Propane has risen in popularity for solvent-based extraction in recent years, generally considered a ‘cleaner’ final product than BHO. Propane is slightly more expensive than butane, but is worth the additional cost for extraction. Terpenes can be condensed from cannabis flower, Trim, or hash dissolve fairly easily in alcohol (specifically isopropyl alcohol or ethanol). Extraction with alcohol is also considered a safer option, but requires exact temperature control for optimal results. Extraction using isopropyl alcohol is also known as “qwiso,” or ‘quick-wash isopropyl alcohol.’ Conducive to its name, this process can be completed rather quickly and easily using minimal equipment. However, not many licensed facilities use isopropyl alcohol, as the more popular alcohol solvent is ethanol. Ethanol is a fairly expensive solvent to use for extractions, but it has an extremely high ‘recovery rate.’ That means it can be used for extraction and be recovered afterwards through rotary evaporation or other forms of solvent reclamation. CO2-extracted concentrates in the form of an oil
have become increasingly popular over the years. This ‘supercritical’ fluid extraction is created with large amounts of pressure and carbon dioxide and is seen as an incredibly effective method to separate plant material, producing an amber-colored oil. CO2 extraction is gaining popularity in commercial extraction operations due to the fact that the equipment used is able to finely tune desired results and end products. CO2 is often preferred to other extracted oils because it’s incredibly efficient and yields purer, cleaner product with limited processing and low residual solvent. Because CO2 is a naturally occurring substance and is produced by the human body, it is widely considered as a natural solvent with less health concerns than butane, propane or other hydrocarbons. The opportunity to tune the process is key, while its sterilizing component allows end products to last longer than most. Typically, CO2 oil is found most often in pre-filled oil cartridges (alongside a medical grade solvent, polypropylene glycol) for vaporizers as well as edibles. The finished product resembles a “whipped” consistency and ranges from a variety of amber shades complete with a milder aroma and flavor profile. Budder is essentially wax with higher moisture content. The consistency of budder is oily and malleable, while wax is crumbly and more solid. Budder contains a higher moisture content because it is whipped less than wax. Live Resin- is made the same way as wax, however the starting product is fresh frozen plant material. By using cryogenically preserved plant material, the finished product has robust, exceptional terpene and cannabinoid profiles that resemble the qualities of the live plant. Live resin is known for its excellent flavor and resemblance to the aroma and taste of the live plant. It ranges in color from light amber to yellow-gold and has a moist, shiny looking exterior with a strong, rich smell. Recently, live resin has broadened its horizons, with many different consistencies and naming conventions. There are currently many “live” products on the market that exhibit high terpene and cannabinoid content and are extracted from fresh-frozen starting material. For example, live sugar is a form of live resin that looks like an amber sugar patty, while live budder is a smoother, more malleable consistency. No matter what the name is, live resin and its many variations offer the best flavor profiles and are frequently enjoyed by connoisseurs and patient cannabis consumers alike. Shatter – is made by blasting plant material with a solvent using a closed-loop system. The resulting slurry is collected onto parchment paper and placed in a vacuum oven for solvent purging. After time the shatter will start to take shape and slowly spreads across the paper. Times in the oven can vary anywhere from 45 mins to a full day to achieve optimal consistency. Sometimes during the process the shatter might not purge correctly resulting in a very “taffy-like” concentrate, reminiscent of salt-water taffy in texture. While shatter is typically stable and easy to handle and snap, taffy is closer to budder in its consistency and stability. Shatter ranges in color from light to dark amber and is high with terpene content, resulting in superior aroma and flavor. Taffy exhibits similar attributes to shatter in regard to appearance, aroma and flavor. Distillates are newer concentrate products and utilize highly scientific equipment to heat and vaporize the THC and CBD within the flower, bringing the vapor into a cooling system for consolidation and eventual collection into beakers. This process is repeated over and over again to create pure cannabinoids without residual solvents or plant matter. The process however leaves little terpene content, generally lost do to the amount of heat used in the extraction process. ‘Pie Crust’ is made by blasting plant material with a solvent and collecting the resulting slurry onto parchment paper, like with Shatter, placing it into a vacuum oven for solvent purging. After the purging interval, the concentrate patty is pressed to promote faster nucleation, turning it from a shiny shatter looking substance to more of a cookie crumble, honeycomb look. The final product delivers an amber color with a strong aroma and overall flavor. ‘Caviar’ – selling for nearly three times the normal price of top shelf strains, and made by soaking cannabis flower in powerful hash oil. Afterwards, the soaked flower is coated in kief and dried until ready for consumption. When dry, the then final product will have a very pungent aroma with exceptional flavor. It looks similar to regular flower, however the kief-coating hash oil gives off a vibe similar to that of a butterfly’s cocoon. Naturally, it’s extremely potent and lasts much longer than normal flower when burned. ‘Jelly Hash’ – a very potent mix of kief and hash oil. It has proven to be extremely effective for patients undergoing chemotherapy or individuals suffering from chronic pain, nausea and other illnesses. With its jelly-like consistency, jelly hash has a mild aroma with an earthy flavor. Rick Simpson Oil (RSO)- is a very popular and highly potent decarboxylated concentrate extract that is consumed orally, without smoking. It utilizes pure light aliphatic naphtha to remove resin containing the cannabinoids, resulting in dark, viscous products with THC levels up to 90% This particular form is often used for medicinal purposes, as made famous by Rick Simpson who cured (or at least controlled) his cancer thanks to RSO. RSO is considered an early example of solvent-based concentrates, and its lack of availability in commercial dispensaries is indicative of its replacement by cleaner solvents and more efficient extraction methods . Non-solvent Extractions: Non-solvent extraction processes typically involve using ice to chill cannabis flowers to freezing temperatures, agitating the resin glands to detach from the epidermis of the flowers. Heat and pressure extraction methods are sometimes implemented to make non-solvent concentrates as well. Recently, non-solvent concentrates like ‘rosin’ and ‘full-melt bubble hash’ have risen to popularity since they are extracted without the use of chemical solvents, comparing similarly to the advanced cannabinoid and terpene profiles of solvent-based extracts. Non-solvent concentrates are arguably considered a healthier form of concentrate due to the absence of any residual chemical solvent, although all medical and legal solvent-based concentrates produced are purged and tested extensively to ensure residual solvent ppm levels. Attention to detail is critical in non-solvent extraction processes, as there are many factors that need to be considered to make a highquality end product. The most important aspect of the entire process is understanding that the quality of the finished product is a direct result of the quality of the starting material. In other words, you get out what you put in, so using the best quality starting material is key to creating superior non-solvent extracts. For example, if the starting material does not have a high trichome content, the yield of the extraction and end product will be lesser quality than an extraction using product that is heavily frosted with trichomes. The best non-solvent concentrates are created with fresh-frozen, high-quality cannabis flowers. Because there are no chemicals introduced to the process, the chemical structure of the plant remains unaltered, resulting in rich and complete terpene and cannabinoid profiles. Kief – the simplest and most traditional type of concentrate available. The modern process used to extract it typically involves cannabis flower and specialized, fine filtering screens or tumblers. By rubbing the flower against the screen, trichomes are agitated and isolated, effectively producing product comprising of collected trichomes. Anyone can extract their own kief through a three-chamber grinder, which features a screen in the bottom level to help collect the trichomes. Depending on how coated with trichomes the flowers being used are, it may take a few weeks to get a decent amount to consume. Kief is very fine in texture and often takes on a light brown or tan coloring and mimics the flavor of the flower it came from. It can be used on top of a bowl or consumed on its own. As mentioned earlier, this form of cannabis is more potent because the majority of cannabinoids and terpenes are found in trichomes. Live Kief – made from fresh-frozen flower, meaning the plant was cut at harvest and immediately frozen to keep all of the cannabinoids and terpenes of the live plant intact. After a quick liquid nitrogen bath, live kief is extracted similarly to regular kief through agitation. Live kief is often preferred because it yields more potent, flavorful, and aromatic product. Live kief has similar aroma and texture properties as normal kief with a slightly lighter appearance. In particular, the aroma resembles the smell of the live plant and flavors are naturally stronger. Bubble Hash (also known as water hash or ice water hash) – made using ice, water, and fine-micron bags to filter out plant material and other waste, Bubble hash is a popular concentrate that originally gained momentum around 10 to 15 years ago. Producing bubble hash is debatably the safest extraction technique known to man. The process is rather simple. The fine-micron bags are sequentially placed inside each other, inside an appropriate- sized bucket, with the 220 micron bag placed last in the bucket. In a traditional bubble hash extraction, the 220 micron bag is considered the “work bag” and houses the starting flower material during the extraction process. Water is then poured through the sequenced bags, extracting trichomes during draining through the bags. From there the process is the same as a hand-washed extraction. The bags holding the trichome-rich water are carefully lifted up and shaken to drain the water back into the bucket. What’s left in the bag is a patty of trichomes. This process is repeated for each bag throughout the process and the hash collected from each bag is separated, dried, and cured. In some instances, the patties are frozen and grated onto parchment paper to create a fine, sifted product that can be gently pressed into a single form, or pressed more firmly in a ‘rosin’ extraction. Additionally, quality bubble hash should technically bubble and, depending on grade, melt when heat is applied. Full-Melt Bubble Hash – produced similarly to bubble hash but generally more refined, Full-Melt is intended for dabbing or vaporization purposes. The starting material used for this process is freshfrozen flower or trim, which means it was cryogenically frozen directly after being cut down. Typically speaking, full-melt bubble hash is much more pungent and slightly more potent than traditional bubble hash. The process is run more gently in comparison to the bubble hash process as well. This is because only ‘trichome heads’ are desired in this method. In traditional bubble hash extraction, both the stalks and heads are agitated from the plant and collected. The Trichome heads, or the bulbous tips connected to the stalks, contain and produce denser terpenes, resulting in a superior flavor profile. It is critical that the washing process is very gentle, as more trichome stalks in the process will produce a less-refined final product. As stated earlier, the extraction process is quite similar to bubble hash, as ice, water and micron bags are utilized to collect the trichome heads from the plant. This process can either be hand-washed, or gently washed within a washing machine. After extraction, the product is collected and frozen into patties. Once the patties are frozen, they are sifted over parchment paper with a fine mesh screen. The sifted, dried, and separated final product looks similar to kief, but contains no plant matter and is light brown to white in color. Full-melt bubble hash can be dabbed, used as a bowl-topper, or gently pressed into a solid state. The pressing process is not the same as rosin pressing however. Ice wax pressing refers to the process of gently forming the individual trichome heads together through gentle pressure. The pressure breaks the epidermis of the trichome heads, forcing them to combine together into a unified product. Breaking open the trichome heads also reveals the full flavor of the terpenes contained within, resulting in a fragrant and flavorful product. Full melt is the highest grade of Bubble Hash and usually contains around 90% trichome resin heads, meaning it will vaporize fully when dabbed without leaving traces of combusted plant matter on the nail. This form of concentrate has an earthy aroma and is more potent because the majority of cannabinoids and terpenes are found in the trichomes. Rosin-has gained popularity in recent memory, however, extraction through heat and pressure has been around for quite some time. Producing rosin involves the use of high heat and high pressure to isolate the resinous essential oils from trichome heads to create a solid form of resin. Rosin is debatably the easiest and safest way to make dabbable concentrates. Additionally, it is also legal to produce at home since it does not require solvents. This is why it has been deemed the “everyman’s” concentrate. That doesn’t mean rosin is a lower grade or average by any means though. In fact, rosin is one of the only types of concentrate that is a direct reflection of the starting tools and materials used to make it. That means without exceptional starting material, it is impossible to make high-quality rosin. In the early stages, many people used hair straighteners, repurposed t-shirt presses and even tortilla presses to make rosin. While these machines do get the job done to a certain extent, they are far from efficient, sparking consumer interest in industrial-grade options. This yearning for more powerful and efficient rosin presses instilled a do-it-yourself movement amongst cannabis enthusiasts who were eager to build their own extraction units. Small, semi-portable hydraulic presses have become favorites for home-extractors, and have opened the possibility for cannabis concentrate enthusiasts to make legal and effortless extracts from the comfort of their living rooms. Rosin allows more people to experiment with making concentrates. and is often considered one of the purest and most flavorful forms of concentrate because of its absence of additive chemicals. Aroma, flavor and taste of rosin vary greatly depending on factors such as the starting product used, such as temperature, which can range between 220 and 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If the starting product has low-resin, the end-yield will produce low-quality resin as well. It is important to note that specific strains are known to produce better rosin than others, although most appear to be a yellowamber hue. THCa/’Crystalline’ – Developed as a means of delivering large, quantifiable doses, THCa is known as the purest isolate anywhere on the market – testing at 99-100%, it is also known as “Crystalline”. When THC-A is activated through heat in a process called decarboxylation, the acidic carbon atom (the “A” in THC-A) is removed leaving behind the psychoactive THC that so many of us know and love. This pure THCa converts to THC when vaped and creates a clear and highly cerebral effect, or remains non-psychoactive when ingested! Testing in at an astonishing 99.9% THC, Crystalline is officially the strongest hash on the market. Other concentrates such as ‘ice hash,’ ‘rosin,’ and ‘BHO’ range from 50-80% THC. ‘Crystalline’ is the creation of Guild Extracts, an extraction company out of the San Francisco Bay; their extraction process is top secret, but Guild Extracts ensures that they use no solvents to create their hash. 99.999%! It is amazing how far THC has come and where we are headed. With the evolution of E-Nails and Vaporizers, innovations in glass, and greater intelligence and resources for production, we’re in for a brighter, more concentrated, future.
